Let's Keep Her
by stevie.boyette
Summary: What did Bo have in mind when he captured Carly? Was it something more than turning her to wax? One girl is going to find out.
1. Introduction

Sam- 24 year old playboy. A sterotypical male who loves woman, drinking, and having a good time

Hannah- 26 year old grad student. Spends her time studying her brain off and being in love with boyfriend Jonathan

Jonathan- 26 year old boyfriend to Hannah and friend to everyone else. Hardworking and a genuinely great guy

Main character: Kate- a 23 year old college student who decides to tag along with her friends to the big football game before deciding her next move in life. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't get the chance


	2. Chapter 1

I watched with widened eyes as the car not even a hundred yards in front of me blew out its tire and was suddenly flipping towards me. i didn't even have time to react as it came crashing down on me.

GAME OVER.

I smacked the wheel in frustration. "Stupid racing game," I muttered. Sam glanced over at me and smirked, still "driving" his car. "Aww, poor Kate," he laughed, "you didn't even make it halfway around the track." I glared, even though he had already turned his attention back to the screen. "What I want to know is when video game creators started making them so freakin' realistic," I said. Sam raised his arms up in victory. SECOND PLACE, the screen read. "Wanna play again, Katey?" he asked, looking way too smug, "it's only 50 cents." I glared at him again before walking away to the others.

Hannah and Jonathan sat close to each other, looking into each others eyes dreamily. I smiled as I sat down on the opposite side of the bench; they had been together for almost three years now and they still looked at each other with absolute love in their eyes. But my smile turned into a tight line as Sam plopped down next to me. The couple turned towards us and laughed as they noticed my grouchy appearance. "What's wrong Kate?" Hannah asked, amused. "She's just a sore loser," Sam said before I could answer. I rolled my eyes, turning my body completely toward Hannah in an attempt to shut Sam out. "So are ya'll ready to go?" She nodded and the guys agreed, so we all got in our cars and headed out.

Settled in the passenger seat of Sam's car, I rolled down the window and let the cool night wind whip through my hair, smiling as it brought back memories of me doing the same thing as a kid on my family vacations. Jonathan's huge Dodge Ram truck pulled up next to us, Hannah leaning out the window, motioning for Sam to roll his window down. "Hey, do you guys just want to camp out in a field or something tonight?" she shouted. Sam gave her a thumbs up. "Sounds good to me!" The truck sped up and got in front of us, turning its blinker on.

As we bumpily pulled into a large meadow, I looked over at Sam, confused. "Why are we stopping?" "Well apparently Jonathan's detour is shut down. I'm guessing he wants to look over the map again and see where to go from here." I frowned as I got out of the car; was I really daydreaming that hard that I didn't notice the road sign that closed off the road?

An hour later, we were all relaxing and joking around together. Soon enough, Hannah and Jonathan started kissing heavily, completely oblivious to Sam and I. Sam took this opportunity to drop his arm over my shoulder and pull me in close. He grinned at me suggestively, but I just raised my eyebrows at him. "Don't even think about it, lover boy," I said as I shook his arm off.

Jonathan broke apart from Hannah after another minute and tackled Sam. I sighed in relief and went over to sit by Hannah, who had a dreamy smile on her face as she watched the boys wrestle. I nudged her playfully, teasingly making kissy faces at her, but deep down, I yearned for what she had: a man who loved me unconditionally and still managed to give me butterflies even after years of being together.

Just then, a bright light shone at us, making everyone go blind. "Hey man, can you turn your headlights down?" Jonathan called, shielding his eyes. The truck and the stranger inside didn't move. "Do you think we're on private property?" Hannah whispered worriedly, scooting closer to me. Several long seconds passed by in silence as we stood there awkwardly. Sam sighed in aggravation. "Would you fucking leave?!" He picked up a large rock that was next to his foot and heaved it at the truck.

Glass shattered and the light shining from the left headlight flickered before going completely off. "Sam!" I yelled in disbelief, turning so I could go apologize to the person. But the truck just backed away and we were left in darkness. Our playful mood now gone, we all decided to just get into our tents and go to bed.

* * *

It seemed as though I had just closed my eyes when I heard Jonathan slapping the tent. "Wake up you guys, we overslept!" I groaned as I sat up, not feeling well rested at all. I quickly got dressed and crawled out of the tent just as Hannah crawled out of hers. After laughing at her wild bed head, the two of us dragged our feet to the woods to use the bathroom. "So how'd you sleep?" Hannah asked before yawning, "did Sam try to fondle you or anything?" I shuddered and shook my head. "No, thank goodness," I sighed.

Sam and I had a weird friendship. We grew up together and were the best of friends until he started his junior year in high school. That's when he became super popular and all the girls wanted him. After sleeping with nearly all the girls in our grade, he decided to make me the item of his affection. Even after turning him down numerous times and we both agreeing that we were just friends, it was obvious he was still interested in me.

At that moment, a breeze blew through the trees and the most disgusting smell filled our noses. "Ugh!" Hannah groaned, using her hand to cover her nose. "I think I'm gonna be sick," I said, trying to breathe through my mouth. But in unison, we both stepped in the direction of the stink, our curiosity getting the best of us. We listened to the leaves crunch under our feet, neither of us saying a word.

Hannah stopped and turned slightly to the right. "I think it actually might be coming from over here." But just as she finished her sentence, my foot fell out from underneath me and my entire body flew forward. Twigs and thorns scrapped against my face and arms as I tumbled down, but I couldn't get a grip on anything to stop. Then my back collided with a squishy yet solid surface.

That same horrible smell hit me once again, only ten times stronger. Gasping, I turned myself around and stiffly got back on my feet on the ground. Before me was a pile of dozens of dead animals. The glazed over eyes of deer, squirrels, and even a bobcat seemed to stare back at me as I looked at the scene in front of me. Sam and Jonathan were suddenly at my side, checking me over quickly before joining me at gaping at the roadkill trench.

Before we could say anything, a rusty old pickup truck backed up to the pit on the opposite side. A man got out and went around to pick up a dead deer by the legs before tossing it into the pile. Afterward, he glanced up and seemed to notice us for the first time. "Well hey there," he called out, giving us a bucktoothed grin, "ya'll lost?" "No, we were just camping up in the meadow," Jonathan answered, "but do you happen to know if there's a mechanic around here?" I paused from wiping my soiled hands on my jeans to look at him in confusion. Sam shook his head and sighed. "My fan belt is broken," he answered.

"Well there is one up in Ambrose, about ten or fifteen miles up the road from here" the man answered. Sam and Jonathan shared a glance, probably trying to figure out what to do next. "I could give you a ride if you'd like." We all looked at the man in shock, then looked at each other. "You guys go on ahead," Sam said as he started to walk around the pit, "I'll just meet you there." I stepped after him. "I'm coming with you." I went and stood beside him, bringing him in closer so I could whisper, "There's no way I'm leaving you alone with this guy. Hannah, Jonathan, you guys go on ahead, we'll catch up." "Alright," Jonathan replied before turning to help Hannah back up the hill.

"Hold on," Sam stopped me, "we got to do something about your shirt." He peeled off his t-shirt to reveal a plain white wifebeater. He took that off too and handed it to me before putting his own shirt back on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam looking me up and down before turning to shield me from the eyes of the man. I quickly replaced my ruined shirt and turned back toward the two men. "Okay, let's go."


	3. Chapter 2

We drove in a somewhat awkward silence, bumping and jostling into each other. Even though the road was paved and smooth, this truck had obviously seen better days. The man had introduced himself as Lester when we had gotten inside. I could sense him glancing at me in a way that less than innocent, but I shook that feeling off and tried to start a conversation.

"Thanks again for giving us a ride into town." He looked over at me and gave me a smile. "You're welcome darling. So uh, where are you guys headed anyway?" he asked. "Football game up at Louisiana State University," Sam replied, sounding a little jealous of how nicely Lester was talking to me. "Tigers versus Sun Devils," I added with a grin. "Is that right?" Lester turned to me and smiled again. "You don't look like a sports fan," he pointed out. I smiled sheepishly and looked down at my knees. "Not really," I admitted, slightly embarrassed at how obvious that fact must be.

To be honest, the only reason I agreed to go with everyone to watch a football game was because I wanted to do every stereotypical thing a college student is supposed to do before graduating. And even though the only sport I've been a part of was helping serve snacks to the community little league team, I was pretty curious of what exactly made these games so popular. When my mom died just over a year ago, it made me realize how important it is to live life to the fullest and make as many memories as possible, even if that means trying something you don't think you'll like.

The truck jerked to a stop, just in front of where water had flooded over a decently big section of the road. "If you two don't mind, I'll need some help turning my hubcaps so we can drive over all that," Lester said as he prepared to get out. "Wait," I stopped him by grabbing onto his arm, "you've helped us too much already. It's no trouble for us to walk the rest of the way." He seemed shocked at my offer. "Are you sure? It's not-" he started before I waved away his words. He shrugged and closed his door back. "Thanks again," I said, giving him a kind and grateful smile.

Sam helped me step over the rocks but released my hand as soon as we got onto solid, dry ground. "I can't believe you we're flirting with him," he snapped at me. I stopped and stared at him incredulously. "You can't be serious," I finally managed to spit out, "I mean, he gave us a ride when he didn't have to. He was nice." "He was weird..." We continued walking in silence, except when Sam would mumble to himself about how weird Lester was and 'why don't I just marry him?'

We finally made it to the store that was half gas station, half car repair shop but no one was there. "Well it is Sunday," I said, breaking the stillness. "I doubt they're actually closed," Sam responded, first trying the front door, then ducked underneath the opened garage door and looking inside. I flipped open my phone to check the time. 4:23, it read. I frowned and looked around, trying to see if there was anyone who could help us. "We could always try the church," I suggested. Sam coughed out a laugh. "Well it is Sunday," he replied mockingly.

As we walked up the steps, I could hear voices talking inside. I sighed and relaxed, glad that at least someone was here. But when we saw people dressed in mourning clothes and facing an open casket at the front of the church, that relief disappeared. 'I'm so sorry,' I mouthed to the guy kneeling in front of the casket then turned to go back outside. "Well that was embarrassing," Sam simply said as he lit up a cigarette. "Embarrassing?" I repeated while leaning to sit down on the church step, "That was more rude than embarrassing. Man, I feel like such an ass."

The church door opened suddenly behind me, making me jump. The same man walked out, going down the stairs and stopping next to Sam. "I'm so sorry," I repeated to him, standing up. He didn't say anything, lighting up a cigarette as well. "Umm, listen man, we were looking for a guy named Bo," Sam said, looking just as awkward as I felt. "You found him," the guy finally said, letting out a stream of smoke into the air. My eyes widened slightly and Sam's did the same. "Well we're having some trouble with my car. I'm actually looking to buy a fan belt if you've got a 15-inch available."

"Are you kidding?" We didn't speak, neither of us knew how exactly to respond. "You know what?" Bo continued sharply, "let me just dump the casket in the ground and I'll be right with you." Then he turned and, after stepping the cigarette onto the dirt, went back inside. We had just turned around and started to walk away when the door opened again. "Hey, I'm sorry. My mom passed, and I didn't mean to take it out on you..."

My eyes widened again in sadness and I took a step toward him. "My mom actually died not too long ago," I said, "it really.. sucks, for a lack of a better word." He nodded once, running his hand through his hair. "Well, I'm sure things will wrap up soon, why don't I meet ya'll back at the station in about a half hour?" I smiled as kindly as I could. "That'd would be great," I agreed. He returned my smile before returning to the church.

Sam followed me as I walked away, looking pissed. "What?" I asked, confused. "Ohh, nothing," he snapped, "just looks like your fan club just got a little bigger." I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Come on, let's go." I looked around before laying eyes on the sign reading "Trudy's House of Wax." Inside, things were really dark, only lit up by the light coming through the windows. Sam tried flipping the light switch by the front door. "Well, the light's are out," he said, stating the obvious.

We both turned, facing the scene in front of us. There were quite a few wax figures in the parlor alone: a couple about to get steamy on the couch, a trio enjoying a cup of tea, and a woman dressed in fancy clothes, welcoming guests inside. "I don't get it," Sam said, looking around, "I thought there were supposed to be famous people in wax museums." I stepped into the next room, where the statues were sitting down at a dinner table about to dine on the wax roast chicken and side salads.

"This place is creeping me out," I told him as a shiver ran down my spine. "Yeah, yeah," he said, brushing me off, "we'll go in a minute." I started to inspect the pictures hanging on the walls, admiring how beautifully they were done. Hanging next to one of the pictures was a mirror covered with dust. I frowned. Being the neat freak I am, I used my hand to wipe the surface clean. In the mirror, I saw a figure behind me, staring in through one of the windows.

I turned around, screaming loudly, but the figure disappeared with a blur. Sam came running in, looking every which way trying to figure out what was wrong. "There was something there, a man, standing outside!" He walked over to the window and peered in each direction. "I don't see anyone," he said, "are you sure it wasn't one of the wax things?" I shook my head and shuddered. "It was real! It was a real person!" I insisted.

"Alright, well you stay here and I'll go out and check it out." He turned and headed back to the parlor. "No, I really think I should come-" but the door had already closed behind him. I shivered once more, feeling more vulnerable as I stood alone with all the wax figures. Sam appeared at the window, looked at me and shrugged before walking around the building.

I followed his lead and stepped into the next room, which was a kitchen setting. But something caught my eye as I passed the door: two old fashioned high chairs which stood against the wall. I pushed the door back farther, stepping back to allow the sunlight to shine on them. Strangely, one of them had restraints fastened to the sides and on closer inspection, I could see traces of dried blood on the arm rests. Then I saw the names embroidered on the seats. Vincent and Bo.

I gasped, backing away and blinking furiously, thinking I didn't read them right. 'Ohh God,' I thought to myself, my hand covering my mouth in shock. "Kate!" Sam suddenly yelled, making me jump. Giving the high chairs one last look, I turned to go into the next room where I could see Sam through the screen door. But a figure invaded the corner of my eye, and I screamed once more, backing up against the wall. Thankfully it was just another wax statue; a woman in a maid's outfit, but her face was twisted and deformed like it had melted in the sun.

"Let's please just get out of here," I said as I closed the door behind me. "Yeah," Sam agreed, "this place is too weird." We headed back into the center of town and Sam spoke again. "I didn't see anyone outside. You were probably just seeing things." I ignored him, too scared to take offense. "Sam, there was something weird in the kitchen-" But another voice called out before I could continue. Bo was strolling toward us, holding a set of keys in his hand. "Let's get this fan belt situation taken care of so we can all get out of here."

"Thanks again," Sam said, shaking Bo's hand. Bo nodded in response, unlocking the door and holding it open for us. "It's a 15-inch, by the way," Sam said, leaning up against the counter. Bo looked through the parts hanging up on the wall before furrowing his eyebrows. "I've got everything but a 15-inch," he explained. Sam sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "Great." But Bo ignored him. "I probably have one up at the house. I sometimes get deliveries brought there."

Sam was looking at one of the doors which had a sign reading "Out of Order." "You can use the bathroom up at my place," Bo offered, grabbing his keys from out of his pocket. Sam sighed again, this time not as frustrated, and nodded. "Alright, let's go."


	4. Chapter 3

I sat in the passenger seat of Bo's truck, tapping my finger on the dashboard while I waited for him and Sam to come back outside. They had been in the house for quite a few minutes, I didn't understand what was taking so long; but I had always been easily impatient. The entire way up to his house, Sam and Bo talked nonstop, not giving me the chance for me to tell him about the highchairs. About a half a minute passed by before I decided to get out of the truck and pace around a little. But I had barely taken two steps before I stopped in my tracks and froze in place. The left headlight of Bo's truck was broken.

At that moment, the door opened and I spun around, expecting to see Sam. Bo stepped out, changed out of his suit and into a more casual looking mechanic uniform and holding a box of car parts. "Where's Sam?" I managed to spit out, my body still. Bo looked to his right and his left. "Huh. I thought he'd be out of the bathroom by now." I didn't move as he circled around to set the container into the bed of the truck.

When he came back to the front of the truck, he chuckled, taking in my defensive stance. "Uhh, you okay?" he asked, stepping towards me. I automatically took two steps back. "Stay away from me." He stopped and stared at me, confused. "Just stay over there until Sam comes back out." He looked at me incredulously. "What in the hell is your problem?" he said, glaring. I stood my ground and glared back as convincingly as I could manage.

"You're the same guy from last night." He froze, taking a sharp inhale that hissed against his clenched teeth. Then he lunged at me, an animalistic look on his face. I shrieked as I bolted away from him, running around the truck. "Sam!" I yelled as I jerked myself away from Bo's outreached hands. Luckily, he slipped and fell onto the ground, giving me the opportunity to hop into the passenger side of the truck and lock the door behind me. He tried running around to the other side, but I quickly slammed the other lock down as well.

I hurriedly wiped my sweaty palm on my jeans before turning the keys that he had left in the ignition. Bo yelled out in protest but I was already screeching away in the opposite direction. I made it down the hill and turned the wheel in the path of town. But because I was surrounded by complete darkness and hadn't yet turned on the headlights, I didn't see the ledge that was out in front of me.

The truck rose up and lurched forward, falling about two feet downward. I slammed into the streering wheel and all the breath came rushing out of my lungs. After falling back into the seat, I coughed, trying to breathe again, a sharp ache overwhelming my chest. I groaned, clutching my upper body and reached for the door handle. As soon as I fell out of the truck, I felt rough hands on me, pinning me down.

I jerked around violently, trying to twist myself out of Bo's grip, but to no success. He threw me over his shoulder, ignoring my cries of pain, and proceeded back to his shop. He headed to a room in the very back and opened a door, walking down a flight of stairs. After flinging the door at the bottom open, he tossed me down onto a chair; it vaguely reminded me of the kind of chair you would sit in at the dentists office or something.

I fought against him as he forced my arms down. I realized that the chair had the same type of restraints that I had seen on the high chair. His high chair. "No!" I cried out, struggling even more, desperate not to let him get me tied down. He must have noticed; he reached over and grabbed a roll of duct tape. He quickly wrapped a long strip around both my wrists then secured my legs together.

"I'm going to have to make sure you don't make too much noise," he said, finally speaking. I stared at him in horror as he ripped off another piece of tape meant to cover my mouth. I jerked my head from side to side, pulling against my restraints. He forcefully grabbed my face with one hand, holding it hard as he held me still. My sobs were muffled as I cried out, looking up at him pleadingly.

"Aww, now don't look at me like that, with those sad, pretty eyes." He wore an expression of mock-pity and moved the hair from out of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to whimper. I sensed him move closer to me, and soon felt his lips press against my forehead. That did it for me; I cried out and thrashed around. He chuckled at me, but I didn't stop screaming. I barely heard the door shut behind him, I continued straining my arms away from the tape and crying out for somebody, anybody to come save me.


	5. Chapter 4

Bo left me underneath his store until morning. I used all my strength over the first four hours, attempting to yank the tape off my wrists or at least pull my legs apart. But I eventually became exhausted and fell asleep, my cheeks remaining wet as the tears continuously ran down them for the rest of the night.

I was only half-awake as Bo threw me down onto the couch. I was aware that he had returned to his hidden room, cut the tape off, and carried me up to his house, but I had slept so restlessly the night before that just the simple motion of him walking had put me back to sleep. He walked off to the back of the house. It surprised me that he left me there unsupervised that I suddenly had enough guts to stand up and look around.

I had just stepped into the kitchen when I was suddenly grabbed from behind. I screamed, knowing that it couldn't be Bo who was holding me. I felt nothing but pure terror as I thrashed around. I had a fleeting thought to call Bo's name for help, but understood that he must have planned this. 'I'm going to die,' I said to myself, tears falling down my face yet again. But I felt comfort in knowing that I would soon be with my mother once again.

"Vincent!" My eyes flashed opened, and I felt the person behind me freeze. "Let her go," Bo demanded harshly, his face contorted with anger. The hands released me and I fell to the floor, whimpering. I looked up at the man who stood behind me and gasped. He looked down at me, his long black hair covering his face, but not enough for me not to see his blank expression. With a start, I realized that over half of his face was covered in a mask. A shiver ran down my spine when I figured out the mask was made of wax.

Bo stomped over and roughly grabbed me by the wrist before pulling me back to the couch. He then motioned for the other man, Vincent, to come join us. Once they had both sat down, Bo spoke again. "I'm going to be honest, I've been reading your journal, Vince." Vincent's only working eye seemed to widen, but he didn't respond and Bo continued. "So I know you've been wanting to study how people's faces and bodies change over time. Now I'm definitely not gonna be your model, but I figure that this young lady here can."

I looked up at him in disbelief, wondering if I was hearing him correctly. He ignored me and went on to say, "Kate will sit with you once every few months so you can sketch her or sculpt her or whatever you want to do, and she'll cook and clean up after us in exchange for staying here. And if she does these things, we won't kill her." My entire body went cold and I struggled to keep taking deep, even breaths.

"What'aya say?" Bo asked, now turning back to his brother, "you wanna keep her?" I didn't move a muscle as I stared at the floor, waiting for Vincent's answer. He grunted once then stood up and walked off. I found that I couldn't make myself breathe as I listened to Vincent's footsteps going up the stairway and a door close quietly. I saw Bo smile out of the corner of my eye and face my direction. "Welcome home."


	6. Chapter 5

I lay face down on the bed, staring blankly at the rays of the sunlight streaming through the window. I heard a clock tick somewhere nearby and someone moving around downstairs, but I just continued laying there. I took a deep breath, in and out, and did my best to not think. But as much as I tried not to, the events from last night came flooding into my mind.

I could feel the bruises on my arms and thighs throbbing as I remembered how Bo literally threw me on his bed, like you would a backpack or jacket after a long day. He had growled as he pressed his body against mine and attacked my lips, not even waiting for a response before he moved his kisses down my neck and collarbone. Tears filled my eyes as I thought of how quickly he removed our clothes, how tightly he held me down as he thrusted inside me, ignoring my screams of protest, slapping me across the face when I begged him to stop.

Luckily, I felt myself go numb, my mind shutting down and blocking out any more thoughts or emotions. I brought myself up into a sitting position and pulled the sheets off of me. 'It's too hot in this room anyway,' I said to myself. The door flew open and I slowly raised my gaze up to see Bo standing in the doorway. "Get up," he ordered in a no-nonsense tone, "I want you to go make us some breakfast, then take a shower after you're done." He turned and started walking back downstairs, not interested to see if I had any response to make.

The bacon in the pan sizzled, turning a nice shade of brown. I flipped the pieces over so the other side could fry and turned to the counter where I'd left a bowl of eggs waiting to be scrambled. As I stirred mechanically and poured the mixture into another pan to cook, the only comforting thought I had was that at least my friends were safe and away from here. I held back a sad sigh, blinking back tears, and attempted to focus on breakfast. About ten minutes later, the table was set, the food was placed in the center and two glasses of orange juice sat by the plates. Bo came in and sat down, Vincent following silently.

When I looked up, I was surprised to see that Bo was glaring at me. "Get yourself a plate and glass, Kate," he snapped, "when I said to make us breakfast, I meant all of us." I didn't answer, just got the things from out of the cabinet and sat down with them. I stared down at my plate, not wanting to make eye contact with either of them, and nibbled on a piece of bacon. After they were done eating, I wordlessly picked up all of our dishes and set them in the sink before grabbing a washcloth.

Once the dishes were clean, dried, and put away, Bo led me to the upstairs bathroom. It came as a great shock that he had stocked up the shelves with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and razors for me. He even showed me where my own toothbrush was located before leaving me alone. I indulged in how good the hot water felt as it ran down my tired body and how sweetly the shampoo smelled. As I dried myself off with the fluffy white towel, I marveled at the fact that Bo had neatly folded a change of clothes for me and left it sitting on the counter.

After I got dressed and dried my hair decently, I went back into Bo's bedroom. I brought my legs up to my chest, resting my head on my knees, but didn't have time to start daydreaming. The door opened again and Bo came back in the room. He shut the door behind him and locked it before turning to me. He lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor, staring at me intently the whole time. He reached over to grab my ankle then yanked me to where he stood. I looked up at the ceiling, trying not to feel him pull down my shorts. He flipped me over and I shut my eyes tight, bracing myself for what was coming next.

* * *

After he was finished, Bo sent me down to the basement, instructing me to follow the tunnel that led to Vincent's workshop. I limped slightly, my body not used to how roughly he was with me. It's not like a was a virgin before all of this, but never in my life had a man bruised me like he did. I crossed my arms and started pinching my skin in an attempt to not have any more flashbacks like I did this morning.

I rounded the corner and there stood Vincent, wiping off his work table. Even though he saw me standing there, he didn't say anything. I stood in the tunnel for a minute awkwardly, then just decided to walk in. Vincent had two chairs set up, each facing each other. There was a table next to one of the chairs, which had an assortment of pencils, charcoal, and sharpening knives, and a sketchbook sitting next to everything.

Vincent finally came over next to me, keeping his distance, and motioned for me to sit in the chair opposite of him. He cocked his head to the side, studying me, then coming to stand right next to me. He cautiously used his hands to adjust my face and how I sat, immediately dropping his hands when he finished. It seemed like he was so unused to human contact that it made him uncomfortable to be so close to a person that wasn't his brother.

Over the next half hour, Vincent drew me several times, moving his chair to various places to get each different angle. As he was putting the final details on one sketch, Bo appeared in the workshop. I tried not to flinch as he walked passed me and over to Vincent, leaning down to see his work. "Looking good," he complimented before turning to me. "You ready?" he asked. I nodded once in response, knowing I didn't really have a choice, but waited until Vincent closed his sketchbook before rising out of the chair.

Bo placed his hand on the small of my back as he guided me back through the tunnel. The urge to slap his hand away made me stop short and I gasped. "Sam," I whispered, looking Bo in the eye "What did you do with Sam?" I could feel the bile make its way up my throat and the color drain from my face when he grinned evilly in response. "Well, the last I heard, he was found wandering the highway. Apparently he kept going on and on about some guy attacking him and his girlfriend, but the police never could find the town he was talking about, so they put him in a mental hospital."

His grin widened as he studied my face. "Ohh don't worry, darling," he reassured me as he wiped away a tear running down my cheek, "I'm sure he's nice and comfy in a straightjacket by now." I couldn't stop the steady flow of tears that came now, or how my entire body started shaking. My knees abruptly went weak and I stumbled to the ground. With a laugh, Bo bent down and scooped me up bridal style and made his way back to the house.


	7. Chapter 6

About a month or so had passed, and my life had become a depressing blur. Bo had grown very comfortable around me, leading him to be more physical; there were so many bruises and scratches on me that I had lost track. And I drew deeper inside myself, so much that I could feel that I was slowly becoming insane. I only had two people that I came in contact with, one evil and one silent, and this town was so quiet; I wondered how exactly the Sinclair brothers had been able to get away with keeping me prisioner. Had no one really noticed that? So each hour that ticked by meant absolutely nothing to me; it's not like there was any hope of my daily routine changing anytime soon.

But on one ironically bright and sunny afternoon, things did change. We had all eaten a late lunch and Vincent had left right after he was done eating and went down to his workshop. I wordlessly gathered the dishes off the table, squirting some dish soap to pile of plates and silverware before I turned on the faucet. As the water started filling the sink up, I grabbed the first plate to wash when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist.

I knew it was Bo from the sensation of facial stubble rubbing against my neck, but something inside me snapped. His simple action reminded me of the comment he had made about Sam, all alone in some insane asylum, stuck in a straightjacket. The plate and washcloth slipped from out of my hands, floating down to the bottom of the sink. Bo, for some reason, took this as a positive reaction and pressed himself closer to me.

I felt myself take a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. Then, the screaming started. I thrashed violently, screeching like a wild animal caught in a trap. Bo jumped back in shock and I fell to the floor. My head smacked against the hard wood floor as I continued flailing around, but I felt no pain. My eyes, which were open as wide as they could go, saw Bo gawking at me, not knowing exactly what to do.

Vincent came rushing in, but stopped and joined his brother in staring at me. After a few seconds, they finally took action; Vincent grabbed hold of my legs, trying his hardest to keep them from kicking at him. Bo was gripping my shoulders, leaving his torso wide open. I began scratching him and beating my fists against his chest.

When he finally caught my hands and forced my arms onto the floor, my back arched up, my body now fighting against the men even more. I let out an animal-like howl before spitting in Bo's face and snarling at him. I groaned, suddenly becoming dizzy and I realized that I was losing the struggle. Then everything went black.

* * *

My eyes flew open as a flash of light shone down on me. I started panting in fear when I couldn't move my hands. "Shh, shh," a voice said firmly, "calm down." Bo closed the curtains before sitting next to me on the bed. I looked up, seeing that my wrists were bound by a belt that was tied to the bed frame. "Here," he said, lifting a glass of water to my lips. I then realized my mouth was extremely dry, so I drank from it heavily, but spilling most of it.

A few minutes passed by in silence. I looked down, noticing that my ankles were bound with another belt. "Umm.. what happened?" I eventually asked, my curiosity getting the best of me. "You went fucking nuts, that's what happened." I just stared at him blankly, so he continued. "You were just standing there washing dishes and you just suddenly fall to ground, screaming and kicking. You almost bit me before you passed out. Vincent and I brought you back up here, but you kept waking up every once in a while and started freaking out again, so we had to tie you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself."

I blinked a few times, trying to process all that he was saying. "Ohh," I managed to say quietly. Bo sighed, looking me over before deciding it was safe to take the belts off me. I sat up, rubbing my wrists gently. Bo got up from the bed and walked to the door. Before the door shut, he peeked his head back in the room. "By the way," he said in an ominous tone, "if you even try anything like that again, it will be the last thing you ever do."


	8. Chapter 7

I lay on the bed, the sheets thrown over one of my legs. I was staring up, studying the swirled patterns of ceiling as I mindlessly ran my fingers up and down my arm. The door opened and I brought my gaze back down. Bo stood in front of the bed, already shirtless. The full moon that shone through the window illuminated his body and I could easily see the details of each individual muscle. His broad chest moved up and down as he breathed, and I was surprised to realize that I felt perfectly calm.

He silently began crawling towards me and lowered himself on top of my body. His musky scent filled my nostrils and I found myself whimpering; not out of fear, but in anticipation. Our eyes locked as he stroked the side of my face, moving my hair out of the way. My eyes examined the design of his face; the light dusting of facial hair above his lip, how his hair curled perfectly in every direction, and how nice and soft his sideburns felt underneath my fingers.

I felt his lips move onto mine, and was shocked; he was being soft and gentle, so different compared to how he normally kissed me. I kissed him back, our lips moving in harmony and it wasn't long before he slipped his tounge inside my mouth. He tasted minty; he had probably just brushed his teeth not too long ago. I moaned softly and deepened the kiss, my hands caressing his face.

With a soft grunt, he flipped us over so I was now laying on top of him. His hands took hold of my legs, hooking them around his hips. My body naturally ground against him, pressing closer to his groin. He groaned, muffled on my mouth, and ended up turning us back over so he could be on top of me again. I didn't notice him undress me, but I soon joined him in being completely naked.

His mouth made its way down my neck and to my breasts. I gasped out loud as his teeth gently bit down on one of my nipples, the other one being massaged by his hand. My legs wrapped around his back, desperately pulling his body closer to mine. He took the hint and positioned himself at my entrance. I cried out as I was completely filled by him.

My eyes flashed open, flickering from side to side. I was alone on the bed again. My body was covered in a light sheen of sweat, my chest rising and falling forcefully with my heavy breathing. I made myself take a deep breath as I ran my hand through my hair. I sighed, still dazed at how realistic my dream was.

With a mind of its own, my hand ran down my stomach and moved underneath my panties. I gasped at how slick I was, my fingers effortlessly sliding across my opening. However, the pleasure I felt didn't seem to be enough to satisfy me. I removed my hand, sighing in frustration. It was then that I realized that Bo wasn't in the room with me. My lips puckered together in worry; he was usually back up here by now.

The stairs creaked underneath my feet as I walked down them. All the lights were out downstairs, but the bright moonlight made it easy for me to see. Bo was sprawled out across the couch, covered up by a single blanket. I watched him, studying his face; circles had already begun to form underneath his eyes. He snored lightly and his fingers twitched in his sleep. I shivered, imagining them plunging deep inside me, pleasuring me a lot more than I could pleasure myself.

Without giving it second thought, I reached out and ran my fingers across his lips, feeling the coarseness of his facial hair over top of them. I hesitated for a short second and looked around before straddling him, lowering myself down onto his lap. His eyes flew open as soon as I did and he quickly sat up, grabbing my wrist and squeezing it tight. I cried out, jumping up at his reaction, but I didn't move very far with him holding on to me.

He used his free hand to rub his eyes and finally seemed to notice that it was me there with him. He looked at me curiously for a moment, then smirked, pushing me backward and attacking my mouth. I whimpered in protest, jerking my head to the side, which made him mad. He painfully gripped my jaw and made me face him. "No, wait," I said. He stopped, growing angrier; his face twisting as he snarled at me, daring me to continue.

I ignored the threat and pulled his face down to mine, giving him a soft kiss on his lips. I paused for a second, but when he didn't object, I did it again, deepening the kiss. He kissed me back and sighed contently, making me smile in response. After a little while, I pulled away, lifting my shirt over my head and tossing it to the floor. His eyes bulged when I did this; he took a minute to stare at me in adoration, then ran his hands across my now bare skin.

I tugged him up toward me, removing his shirt for him. We made eye contact as our fingers intertwined. Kissing for a few more minutes like this, he eventually lifted me off of him only to lower me down on the couch. Our pants were now off too and I trembled, awaiting his next move. He took my arms in his hands and held them down, in a firm way, but not too forceful.

My body reacted positively to this; my back arched up and my legs wrapped around him, just like in my dream. And in an instant, he was inside me, and I exclaimed. I tried not to comprehend the fact that this was the first time since I've been here that I cried out in ecstasy. Our bodies moved together, becoming one, and it wasn't long before I was seeing stars.

I bit down on his shoulder to keep myself from screaming as the waves of pleasure washed over me. Bo moaned a few seconds later, finishing with me. Afterwards, we lay there staring at each other, panting. "Kate," he whispered, pulling me closer. We shared a kiss, tender and sweet. He reached over and picked up the blanket that had fallen on the floor and covered us. We soon fell asleep, breathing in unison, still holding hands.


	9. Chapter 8

I woke up to morning sun shining in my face. I untangled myself from Bo's arms and sat up slowly, careful not to wake him up too. I stretched my arms and groaned, still feeling a little tired. It wasn't until I opened my eyes again that I noticed Vincent standing in the kitchen, gaping at me. "Ohh God," I exclaimed as I ducked down, pulling the blanket up to cover my still naked chest.

I could feel my face turning bright red as I blushed deeply, sitting back up. All the movement must have woken Bo up, who pulled himself up into a sitting position as well. When he saw Vincent, he looked pissed. "What are you staring at?" he snapped, "get out of here!" He didn't respond, only walked off in the opposite direction.

Bo yawned, stretching his arms and draped one over my shoulder. He gave me a big smile, actually looking friendly for once. "Last night was amazing," he said softly, looking at me with gleaming eyes. I blinked at him, curious of whether he was genuinely being nice to me or not. But I quickly forced myself to smile at him and nodded, my cheeks still pink with embarrassment as I recalled the events from the night before.

He stood up and pulled on his boxers before walking into the kitchen and getting the carton of milk out of the fridge. "So are you going to start breakfast or what?" I nodded again, quickly pulling my shorts and t-shirt back on and following him. Not wanting to upset his good mood, I hurriedly pulled a bowl and box of pancake mix from the cabinet and started mixing.

About fifteen minutes later, I was setting the giant stack of pancakes down on the table along with a bottle of maple syrup. Bo and Vincent walked back in, their noses dragging them toward the delicious smell, and they sat down, digging in while I threw a few pieces of bacon on the pan. As they ate, Bo was still glancing over at me with a slight smile on his face. Even when I joined them, he gently rubbed my knee and held my hand underneath the table.

"Vincent," Bo said, breaking the silence. Vincent and I both looked up at him at the same time. "It's been a couple months," he continued, "why don't you take Kate down to the workshop after breakfast and do a few more sketches?" Vincent nodded in return and went back to silently eating the rest of his food. Bo gave my hand another squeeze and I quickly returned it, all the while wondering just how long this sweet behavior would last.

* * *

Vincent surprised me by having me stand and even used his hands to turn my body in different poses. It felt a little heartwarming that he seemed more comfortable around me; or maybe that was just his response to seeing me naked this morning. I blushed again at that recent memory, but tried to keep still.

About an hour later, he set his pencil down and closed his sketchbook. I stood there uncomfortably in silence, wondering what I should do next. Vincent turned, putting his art supplies into one of the drawers. I walked over to his side and politely waited until he was finished. "May I?" I asked, pointing at the sketchbook still laying on the table. He stayed quiet, but eventually nodded at me.

I picked up the book and sat in his empty chair. The first dozen pages were drawings of random things. I recognized Bo's truck and the outside of the house of wax building. He had partly drawn the scenery of the town a few times, but seemed to have given up and went back to sketching some of the wax statues on the next pages. Finally I reached the page that featured me.

Even in the drawing, I could see the dark shadows that were under my eyes, the look of fear underneath the calm exterior. But when I got to the sketches from today, there was a very noticeable difference. I looked calm, comfortable and at ease. My eyes showed no sense of terror in these pictures. I shakily closed the book and set it back on the counter.

It scared me to think that I was getting used to living here. Because I didn't really live here, I was being held captive, only staying because of the threat of getting murdered if I tried to leave. When I looked up again, I found that I was all by myself in the workshop; Vincent must have left without me even hearing.

I started to turn and head back down the tunnel, but saw a door out of the corner of my eye. It sat at the top of a short flight of stairs, identical to the one that led up to the house. I looked around again, making sure that I was really alone. I tiptoed to the first step and glanced around once more. Satisfied that Vincent was nowhere close by, I crept up each step, trying not to make any noise.

The door was unlocked when I turned the handle, so I pushed it open and peeked my head in the door. I was taken aback when I recognized the kitchen of the house of wax. No noise came from inside; it was eerily quiet. I took a tentative step inside and shut the door behind me. It had been so long since that first time I was in here. Without Sam by my side, I felt complete alone.

I decided to walk out of the kitchen and into the dining room set-up, but not before noticing that the wax statue that had scared me before was no longer in the same place as last time. I could still slightly see where I had wiped away the dust off the mirror. I shivered, recalling how scared I was then and how odd it felt that I was now "roommates" with the same man who stared at me through the window.

I paused, feeling like something was off. I turned back to the table and studied the figures that sat there. I counted the numbers in my head twice and realized that there was another person at the table. Slowly, I walked closer to the end of the table, my heart pounding and the sweat making my palms go slick. There, at the head of the table, was Sam.

My stomach turned into a block of ice as I stood there unblinking at the scene in front of me. But then I realized that it was just another statue made of wax with Sam's exact features. I couldn't help but reach out and stroke my fingers across its face. Suddenly, the door I had come in through opened again. Vincent stepped through, scanning the kitchen before turning and spying me a few feet in front of him.

Something deep inside me urged me to run, and I took off into the parlor, racing to reach the building's front door. In my franticness, I ended up smacking another statue, another one that wasn't there before. The sculpture came crashing down and smashing open as it hit the floor. I couldn't move as I looked at the broken figure. Chips of red paint had scattered across the floorboards from where its head had cracked. Strands of dirty blonde hair were now covering part of her face, and I could only see one of her green eyes staring back at me: Hannah.

Vincent's hands seized me at the waist and pulled me up, dragging me out the front door. I remained voiceless as he forced me down the front steps, but regained my consciousness when we reached the ground. I screamed, lashing out and kicking at him. He lost his grip on me, and I stumbled to the dirt. I coughed, overwhelmed with waves of nausea. Heaving, I emptied the contents of my stomach before collapsing in tears.

My body shook as I sobbed violently. Pulling myself to my hands and knees, I had started to crawl away when I was pushed back. I landed hard back on the ground and wheezed as the air whooshed out of my lungs when someone sat on top of me. Bo caught my arms and secured them to my sides. His body radiated with absolute fury, but his face was calm. I stared up at him in terror, not daring to speak.

"I warned you." I couldn't comprehend what he meant before he stood up, yanking me up. A sharp pain shot up my arm and up to my shoulder, making me yelp. He flung me onto his shoulder, storming down the road. I looked around, confused as to where exactly he was taking me. Although I was upside-down, I could tell that we were now in the center of town. I kicked and swung my arms around, and wondered where the rest of the townspeople were.

Bo kicked open the church door and I sighed in relief. Surely the preacher was somewhere around here and would come help me. But with a jolt, I saw that the pews were filled with people. As Bo walked down the center aisle, I twisted my head around, enough to get a better look at the churchgoers. They were all wax.

"No," I whimpered, a fresh sob overtaking my body. We passed the pulpit and I narrowly missed hitting the statue of the pastor. A door opened and closed, and we were now in a dark hallway. Bo only walked a few more steps and lifted me up. My back struck against a wooden surface and I groaned out in pain. "Now I told you before not to misbehave," Bo said, speaking for the first time, "so I've got to teach you a lesson now."


	10. Chapter 9

He tied my wrists and ankles down seperately, and I felt the same material of the straps he had used to keep me attached to the chair underneath his car shop. My head felt tired and heavy but I used all my strength to lift it up a few inches to see where I was. I recognized the device that I was tied to from my history textbooks and period movies. It was the same thing used to pull a victim's limbs out of the sockets until they confessed of their crimes or where something was hidden.

"Bo," I begged, my eyes pleading with him. He just shook his head, and I knew anything I'd say would be pointless. "You think just because we made love, that you can go around doing anything you want?" I choked back a sob. "You're just a whore," he continued, practically spitting his words, "nothing but a whore!" He turned the wheel in a jerking motion and the two halves of my body yanked in opposite directions.

I screamed, pain filling every inch of me. "Yeah, you like that, don't you?" The wheel turned again, and I felt my skin stretch; I couldn't believe it didn't rip. "Please!" I managed to utter, my body crying out in agony. Bo paused for a moment. "You fixing on apologizing?" he asked. I nodded furiously, not giving it a second thought. "Yes, please!" I cried, so desperate in escaping this wretched pain.

Bo turned the wheel in the opposite direction and I nearly wept at the relief it gave me. I paused, gasping, trying to catch my breath before I spoke. But Bo was in no mood to wait. In an instant, my wrists and ankles were pulled again and, for a moment, I couldn't even think with all the anguish I was feeling once again. "Please, please, I'm sorry!" I shrieked.

He released me from the tension once more, but this time I didn't wait before I blurted out my words. "I'm sorry, Bo! I didn't mean to take advantage of all your kindness, I wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry, please forgive me!" My pleadings quickly turned to sobs that I tried to hold back as he considered what I had said.

Wordlessly, he began unbuckling my bonds. I sat up slowly, my body protesting at me, cursing at me as I kept moving. "Let's go," Bo said, "it's almost time for dinner." My eyes widened at how casually he spoke, especially after the torture he just inflicted on me. But I scooted to the edge of the device and lowered myself down gradually. However, my legs buckled from under me and I fell to the floor. I struggled to pull myself back up, but I was too weak.

Bo remained unfazed. "You'd better get yourself up," he said, stepping around me, "or you'll be sleeping here tonight." He walked through the door, not even giving me another glance. I used my remaining strength to grab a hold of the wheel and hauled myself up into a standing position, biting my lip to prevent myself from crying. I took a deep breath and started walking after Bo, whimpering every few seconds in pain.


	11. Chapter 10

I sprayed the coffee table in the living room with cleaning solution and rubbed it down with a cloth, taking great care in dusting each nook and cranny. The kitchen and front porch were already clean and I planned on sweeping the stairway before tidying up the upstairs bedrooms. It had been quite a few weeks since the torturing incident and Bo had since then been very humane to me. I set the rag down, pausing to admire the detailed beadwork on the neckline on the dress he had gotten me after all that happened.

It was a simple, yet beautiful dress, made of a soft material that was a rich burgundy color which Bo said complimented my pale skin. It had spaghetti straps and swung nicely just above my knees. As I continued dusting, I recalled my reaction to this gift. My mind had flashed back to an article I had read a few years ago, about abusive relationships. It talked about how the abuser would usually give his lover a gift of some sort to apologize for hitting them, but they always ended up beating them again a short time later. But I didn't dare say anything negative about it.

"Thank you," I murmured softly, looking down at my feet. He pulled me into an embrace, holding me tight. "I'm sorry," he whispered as his hand gently rubbed against one of my arms. My arms and legs were covered in deep red stripes, especially at my hips and shoulders; a result of being stretched out like that. I wrapped my other arm around his waist, returning his hug, not wanting to displease him.

Over the next couple of weeks, I only stayed in the house. I cooked, cleaned, and sat quietly, obeying any request he or Vincent asked of me. I only cried when I was sure the men were both out of the house. I feared that if Bo were to find out, I would be punished again. When he noticed how I just sat staring out the bedroom window after completing my chores, Bo took to moving one of the shelves from the living room and putting it in our room, filling it with a nice sized collection of books.

Earlier that morning, the front door opened with a bang as we were eating breakfast. I recognized the man as the same person who had given Sam and I a ride into town many months ago. "Hey, Lester," Bo mumbled, his mouth full, "this is a surprise." Lester didn't look very shocked to see me sitting at the table with the other men; he sat down in the chair next to me and I silently stood up to fetch him a plate before Bo could ask.

"Kate, you know my brother Lester, don't ya?" I nodded and made myself give him a small smile. "Hi," I said quietly, but still in a polite tone. He gave me a huge grin as he scooped scrambled eggs onto his plate. I forced myself not to shudder as it brought back memories from meeting him the first time. I finished my food quickly and waited patiently until the others finished.

I had wordlessly began scrubbing the dishes when I heard Bo talk again. "Well, I'm heading out. Les, did you want a round with Kate?" I caught the cup before it fell out of my hand and continued washing it while waiting for his response. Lester laughed. "No thanks, brother," he replied lightly.

When Bo's chair slid back, scraping against the wood floor, I turned back around to face them. He gave me a kiss on the lips before strolling out the door. The other two followed his lead, but Vincent headed in the direction of the tunnel. "Well, I guess I'm gonna head on too," Lester said, "nice seeing you again, Kate." But he looked at me up and down in a yearning way that contradicted his response to Bo's offer.

When the door closed once again, I took a shuddering breath. I could feel the tears coming on again, but I brushed them away impatiently and tried to focus on my cleaning.

* * *

I screamed into the pillow, sobs wracking throughout my body. I shook ferociously over the next few minutes, allowing my emotions to release themselves. I knew I had kept them bottled up too long and it was only a matter of time before they came bursting out. With one last tremble, I lay still, listening to myself breathing deeply, in and out.

In all the commotion, I hadn't realized that Bo was in the room with me, leaning against the bookshelf. I sat up quickly, contemplating apologizing and begging for his forgiveness when he crawled next to me on the bed. I let out a whimper when he pushed my body back, laying me down so that I was facing him fully. I shut my eyes and froze, waiting for my punishment.

But they opened again when I felt his hands move gently up my legs, stopping just above my thighs. He used his thumbs to put pressure on my hips, which bucked up in response. He hovered over my body as he leaned down and put his face next to my ear. "I don't want you to be unhappy," he breathed, gently took my earlobe in his teeth. I gasped out loud, my back arching up and my hands reaching up to tangle themselves in his locks of hair.

He swiftly lifted my dress and removed my underwear before pulling my hands off of him. I didn't even have the chance to pout at him when I felt his mouth between my legs, giving off hot breath on my most sensitive region. His tounge plunged inside me and I cried out in pleasure. My hips bucked up again, desperate to get closer to him. My head fell back onto the pillow and I twisted my fingers back through his hair, yanking at it when the pleasure hit me over and over.

After a minute, Bo seemed to grow impatient and tore off his jeans, pinning my arms down and spreading my legs open widely with his legs. He thrusted inside me and I moaned, my legs wrapping around his back and my toes curling in ecstasy. Never before had I ever felt this much bliss; I couldn't think, I only felt pleasure.

I could sense that I was about to come. My legs pulled Bo as close to me as possible, his eyes going wide at how strong I suddenly became. "Ohh, fuck," I moaned, pulling his hair so hard, it was a surprise that he didn't get mad. Bo was looking down at me, studying my face as I cried out, but I was feeling too good to feel self-conscious.

"Please," I heard myself plead, "ohh God, don't stop." He pounded even harder into me and my head fell back again. My nails dug into his back, probably leaving lines of bloody scratches. I was almost done, I was on the very edge. "Bo!" I screamed, completely ignoring the fact that Vincent might be somewhere in the house. My back arched up once more as my intense orgasm washed over my body.

Afterwards, I lay still, panting and staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Bo was putting kisses in random places on me, my neck, my shoulder, each of my fingers. He pulled the sheets over us and pressed himself against me, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me close. A half an hour later, I was breathing normally and staring at the darkening sky outside the window. Bo's quiet voice interrupted my thoughts. "I love you, Kate," he whispered, then rolled over and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 11

The next morning, Bo and I woke at nearly at the same time. "Morning," he said, giving me a peck on the cheek. Then, we walked downstairs together so I could start breakfast, Vincent joining us minutes later. I ate in silence, watching as Bo joked around with Vincent, obviously in a good mood. And it must have rubbed off on Vincent too; he was laughing along with his brother. Well, not an actual laugh, but a humored sounding grunt.

As usual, Vincent left right after he finished eating, but surprisingly, Bo didn't make any move to leave. He continued sitting in his chair, leaning back and watching me as I cleaned the dishes. I did so quickly, nervous that he was observing me so closely. I turned around to face him once I was done. "Umm... would you like me to clean a certain room first?" He shook his head, finally standing up.

"I was actually wondered if you'd like a tour of the town," he said, "that is, if you want to take a break from your normal routine." My eyes went slightly wide at his suggestion. When I finally answered, I was stammering. "S-sure. Umm, I'd love to." He smiled kindly at me and held out his arm, letting me go out the door first.

It was a beautiful, sunny spring day outside, a light breeze blowing through my hair. Bo didn't hesitate casually taking my hand and leading me to the center of the town. "Where would you like to begin?" I looked around, trying to choose which building to go in. I finally pointed at the convenience store tucked in between a pet store and a doctor's office.

A strong smell hit me as soon as we stepped inside, and I covered my nose with my hand, trying not to gag. "What the hell?" Bo mumbled to himself, ducking his head behind the front counter then walked through the aisles, looking around. He soon returned, an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry about that, darlin'," he apologized, leading me out the door again, "it seems I've forgotten throw out all the food that's gone expired." I stared at him, confused, but felt it would be wise not to say anything more.

We decided simultaneously to go into the movie theater next. There was an old black and white movie already playing, so I sat down in an empty seat, trying not to disturb those around. I jumped when I realized that there weren't people sitting there, but more wax statues.

I gazed at all the figures in the seats surrounding us, surprised at just how many there were. "Vincent did them," Bo commented, following my stare. My head whipped around and I gawked at him. "He did all of these?" I asked in amazement. He nodded as he turned back to look at the movie. I tried my hardest to look like I was focusing on the movie, but I really was pondering things, already deep in thought.

The movie ended quicker than I expected; we walked back outside, hand in hand. Bo didn't make any comment when we walked passed the church and I not so subtly averted my eyes from it. But the building reminded me of the question that had been nagging me. "Bo?" I muttered, pausing to decide whether or not I should continue. He squeezed my shoulder in response. "Hmm?" "I was just wondering... if there were any actual people in Ambrose?" I bit my lip, automatically frightened that I had offended him.

But he didn't seem mad; he took a breath before explaining. "About ten years ago, the sugar mill closed down, and that was Ambrose's only real source of work here. So nearly all the families moved away in search of jobs, except for a few of the elderly people who lived here for all their lives. But like I said, it's been over ten years, so the people who didn't move away have since passed away." I stared at him, digesting this new information. "So, you and Vincent and Lester... you all live here alone?" I finally asked.

Bo just chuckled once. "Well I don't know if you could tell, but my brothers and I aren't really a sociable sort of people," he joked, smiling, but his eyes seemed weary, as if he was worried of how I would react. I hummed to myself absentmindedly, dropping the subject. We went inside the other few stores that made of the town, Bo showing me how he and Vincent had cleverly set up wax figures as cashiers or customers. I smiled whenever he did, laughing along with him, but deep down, I couldn't shake this feeling that something was off.

"I guess I should start my cleaning now," I said when we had returned to the house. Bo cocked his head to the side, seeming preoccupied with other thoughts. I gasped as he suddenly took me by the legs and wrapped them around his waist. I quickly gripped his neck to prevent myself from falling and he placed his own hands on my back. "Why don't you put that off for a couple hours?" He smiled at me slyly and our lips crashed together in an instant. We headed upstairs and he quickly shut the bedroom door behind us, beginning a day of lovemaking.


	13. Chapter 12

I walked around the house silently, deep in thought as I recalled the events from a few days before. Bo and I had returned downstairs after finishing our... alone time, and I grabbed the broom from the hall closet and began sweeping, humming happily to myself. Bo sat down on the stairs, watching me intently, chuckling as I danced around the room.

He stood up once I was done, taking the broom from my hand and dumping the contents of the dust pan in the trashcan for me. "Thank you," I said smiling. He suddenly picked me up and brought us into the kitchen. He plopped me down on the counter and started attacking me, covering my cheeks and neck with kisses, earning squeals and giggles from me.

He eventually slowed, giving me softer pecks and finished with a kiss on the lips. "Kate," he started but I interrupted, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm gonna start dinner in just a few minutes." He smiled, shaking his head. "That's not what I was about to say," he said teasingly. I blushed lightly and paused, waiting for him to speak again.

"I was going to say that if you ever find yourself sitting here with nothing to do," he continued, "I was thinking that you might like to go to the shops in town. You could tidy them up and rearrange the furniture set-up if you'd like." I just stared at him. "I... are you serious?" He must be joking with me; today was the first time he allowed me to leave the house, and that was under his supervision.

"I'm serious," he replied solemnly, no trace of humor in his eyes. I blinked in response, trying to get myself to talk. "That'd be great," I finally managed, still shocked. He stood and showed me where the keys were located, but did warn me that I would be kept under close watch. I tried to give him a reassuring look then; running away hadn't even crossed my mind before he said that.

The memory ended and I smiled to myself, not believing my luck, feeling grateful at how much Bo trusted me. Deciding to change clothes before I left, choosing a simple outfit of black yoga pants, a pretty embroidered tank top, and sandals. I struggled holding on to the broom, mop, rags, and other cleaning products as I opened the door. But a bright yellow sticky note caught my eye as I was closing the door.

'Kate, it read, don't bother trying to carry everything down into town. I've left some supplies out in front of the grocery store for you to use and put a box of trash bags next to you on the porch.' He had drawn an arrow pointing to the left, directing my attention to the box that was indeed waiting for me on top of one of the porch chairs. He had finished the message with a simple 'Love, Bo.' It came as a surprise to me how easily I accepted his feelings for me. We never discussed the fact that he told me he loved me those few nights ago; I guessed he assumed I was asleep at the time.

I walked down the dirt road, basking in the rays of sun that shone down on me, warming my skin. I reached the convenience store within a few minutes and sat the trash bags down alongside the rest of the cleaning materials and turned to unlock the door. Immediately I was hit with the same unpleasant smell from before, making me cough a few times before I could take another step. Glancing behind the back aisle, I saw what Bo was talking about the other day; a container of jars had fallen off the shelf, its black and molded contents spilled on the floor, partially eaten by bugs.

I tried not to gag and concentrated on breathing through my mouth. I propped the door open using a large cinder block and grabbed a roll of paper towels. Two hours later, the shop was nearly sparkling at how clean it was. The floors were mopped and swept, the counters and shelves dusted, and anything that was expired was stuffed into the trashcan. Unfortunately, because the food went bad ten years ago, that meant that the store was almost completely empty. I frowned and shook my head; what did these men do all day that meant they couldn't restock the shelves in here?

But I quickly reminded myself that this town and all these shops were basically for show. I sighed, closing the door and locking it before moving on to the next store. When I finished tidying up that showroom, the sun had moved almost all the way to the west, sitting just above the tops of the trees. I hurried to transfer my cleaning supplies inside the store and making sure the door was shut before running back up towards the house.

Bo, Vincent, and, to my surprise, Lester were all sitting together at the table when I arrived. I grimaced, fighting the urge to smack myself in the forehead. "I am so sorry," I stammered, bending down to get a pot from underneath the stove. Bo stood up and stopped me, leading me over to the empty chair. "Stop worrying yourself, Kate," he said calmly, not looking mad at all, "we have plently of leftovers we can heat up. Just sit back and take a little break; I know you've been real busy all day."

My face reddened slightly, but I did what I was told, even though I did try to protest when Bo started setting the table. I'd been so used to taking care of the men that it felt very wrong to just sit here and not do anything. It did warm my heart as I watched the three brothers all talking and joking around with each other; it felt like I was truly a part of this little family.

After we were all done eating, Vincent and Lester nonchalantly went off to give Bo and I some privacy. Together, we picked up the dishes and worked together to clean them. I scrubbed the remaining specks off the plates and silverware and he rinsed and dried them. It only took a few minutes to complete the task and I soon felt Bo's arms around me. He caressed his cheek against mine and I twisted my face around to give him a soft kiss.

"Are you planning on going back into town tomorrow?" he asked conversationally, his arms still wrapped around me, rocking our bodies from side to side. "I suppose so." He spun me around and laced our fingers together, looking me in the eye. "Well I'd love to come by at some point in the day. That is, if you'll have me." I grinned at him and gave him another peck. "Of course!"


	14. Chapter 13

Summer passed by just as quickly as it came, and the Sinclairs and I had settled into a routine of our own. Lester started joining us regularly in the morning, but we went off in different ways after breakfast; I stayed at the house until around noon, fixing lunch and leaving it on the table for everyone else to eat, then went into the town to clear out any mess I found there. Bo would come and fetch me in the late afternoon, breaking me out of my work focus so I could go eat dinner. Afterwards, we would all sit on the porch with glasses of sweet tea, chatting as the sun set in the background.

So I was shocked to wake up one morning and the house was completely quiet. Confused, I went downstairs and saw no one sitting at the table. Bo rounded the corner at that moment, a book tucked underneath his arm. He leaned to give me a quick smooch, pulling out my chair for me. "Where is everybody?" I asked, craning my neck to look out the window and search for his brothers. He laughed at this and sat down next to me.

"I asked them to leave us alone for a little bit. And don't worry, they've already eaten." I furrowed my eyebrows, questioning him. He didn't answer, but simply sat a small box on the table in front of me and turning his back to reach for the oatmeal in the cabinet. Curiously, I lifted the top, then froze completely still. A ring was tucked inside, gleaming softly in the morning light. It was simple but very beautiful, a small circular diamond, no bigger than a sunflower seed, was surrounded by a grouping of much smaller diamonds and attached to a bronze colored band.

"Happy anniversary," Bo whispered into my ear, burying his face into my locks of hair. I gasped softly, firstly at his gift and then at the realization that it had indeed been an entire year that I've been here. He waited patiently for a moment for me to answer, but when I didn't he put his hands on the side of my face, looking at me in concern.

"Baby, please say something," he begged, his grip growing tighter. My eyes fluttered and I inhaled deeply, not gathering that I had been holding my breath. "I'm okay," I said, but he didn't look reassured. He tore himself away only to quickly fill up a glass with water and hand it to me, gesturing for me to drink. After gulping the water down, I wiped my mouth but continued to stare at the ring.

After a long minute had passed, I finally spoke. "What is this for?" He sighed in relief at the sound of my voice, but looked at the floor, frazzled. "I just wanted to do something special," he mumbled, barely clear enough for me to hear, "I wanted to show you how much I've enjoyed the time we've spent together." My heart nearly broke for him as he seemed to brace for rejection, but I just shook my head slightly.

"You know that I didn't choose to stay here," I said. His head jerked up, his face a combination of both anger and understanding. I continued before he could talk. "But, I seem to find myself... madly in love with you." My voice grew quieter at the end of my sentence, and I stared down at my feet sheepishly. He lifted my head up with one finger, then brushed the hair out of my face with his hand.

Without breaking our eye contact, he reached over for the tiny box, removing the ring. "I belong to only you," he vowed, slowly sliding the ring down my left ring finger. A rush of emotion came over me and tears suddenly blurred my vision. "And I am yours only," I said, wiping my eyes dry. He took my face in his hands again and pulled me in close, giving me an intense and passionate kiss.

* * *

Bo's brothers didn't look too surprised when I showed them the ring. "I'm just glad ya'll are official now," Lester commented. He pulled Bo and I into a tight hug. "Husband and wife," he exclaimed, smiling goofily, "and now I finally have a little sister." He gave me a sloppy smooch on the cheek, and Bo pushed him away playfully in response. I did nearly jump when Vincent wrapped his arms around me, embracing me gently.

I hugged him back reluctantly, not used to having him in such close proximity. He gave me a nod, then patted his brother on the back in a congratulatory gesture. The men applauded when I brought out the chocolate cake I had made earlier. They all dug in noisily, making me giggle, though I knew that they probably haven't had a treat like that in a while. "Do me a favor," Bo said to the others as he took my hand, standing up. "Wash these dishes, and put them up. I need to show Kate something real quick." The two agreed, immediately turning to the sink.

Bo led me out of the kitchen and down the short hallway, pausing when we got to the small space behind the stairs. He pushed me back firmly and I hit against the wall with a light thud. "What are yo-" I gasped as he interrupted me by brushing his fingers between my legs. "Be quiet," he whispered while rubbing me on the outside of my underwear. I panted heavily, my hips bucking upward, but I bit back the moan that was caught in my throat.

He pulled my panties to the side and plunged two fingers inside me. His hand swiftly covered my mouth, probably sensing that I wouldn't be able to hold back my squeal of pleasure. My right leg automatically lifted up and I propped my foot against the back of the stairs to give him more access. "I'm gonna make you come right here," he growled softly. I gasped again, my eyes rolling back as he hit my sweet spot.

"But Bo, what if-" He shushed me and started pumping his fingers even faster now. "Vince and Les aren't even going to know," he said with a smirk, "unless you make too much noise." He crashed his lips against mine at that moment, and I was grateful that my moans were somewhat muffled by his mouth. My fingers pulled Bo's hair roughly and I tried not to cry out as waves of ecstasy washed over me.

When I felt myself on the edge of climaxing, I covered my mouth with my own hand, biting down on my palm. After all that, I stood there shaking, holding onto Bo tightly, afraid that my knees were going to buckle out from underneath me. "Carry me?" I asked, still feeling winded. He chuckled under his breath and picked me up bridal style. He brought me up to the bedroom and gently laid me down onto the bed before tucking me in. "Good night, my blushing bride," he breathed into my ear, and I was fast asleep as soon as he finished his sentence.


	15. Chapter 14

Our first month of being an unofficial married couple was treating Bo and I nicely. He joined me every day in cleaning up the town's stores and it felt good that we were such a perfect team. We sat together on the porch steps, hand in hand, strawberry ice cream placed next to our feet. Lester came walking up the driveway, taking one look at us and smirking. I rolled my eyes at him; he had spent the past few days making lame jokes at how his brother and I were now "an old married couple."

"You make any ice cream for me, my sweet, beautiful, amazing sister-in-law?" he asked, a silly expression smeared across his face. I raised my eyebrows and cocked my head to the side. "Bowls are in the cabinet, Lester," I replied, smirking back at him. Bo laughed, giving my hand a squeeze, complimenting my comeback. The sun set slowly and the fireflies soon came out, lighting up the darkened front yard, but neither of us made a move to get up.

As we continued sitting in comfortable silence, I started counting the stars and tracing out the constellations in the sky above. I recognized all the ones I knew within a few minutes and I lowered my head back down. Bo was studying my face before I turned my gaze back to him; a loving smile spread across his lips as he reached out to stroke my cheek with the back of his hand. I giggled at the tickling sensation this gave me, the feeling of his rough hand against my soft skin.

I exhaled softly, the warm, familiar of satisfaction swelled over me and my eyes drooped contently before I kissed him. Our kisses quickly intensified and Bo started almost purring in response. I pulled away from him, laughing out loud. He playfully pushed me to the side and I nearly fell off the edge of the steps. This led to an impromptu wrestling match right on the front porch, the yard echoing with our laughter and my squeals of protest when he began snorting like a pig on my neck.

"What in the Sam Hill are you two doing?" Lester and Vincent were now standing behind us, the door still wide open. They both stood watching us, looking very amused. "Ohh.. hiya!" I said goofily, grinning up at them. Instead of responding, Lester suddenly leaped at us and I shrieked hysterically, trying to pull myself out of his grip. "I wanted to play too!" he said while trying to pull me back down.

Bo took this chance to pounce at his brother, quickly sprawling across his body. "You give?" he asked, still pinning Lester down even though he struggled with all his might. Lester thrased around for a couple more seconds before finally giving up, slapping at the floor. "Uncle, uncle!" Even though Bo immediately let him up, Lester kicked at him, but held up his hands in defense. I reached a hand down to help Lester up and we all went back inside.

* * *

The four of us sat on the couch in the living room, all the lights off and a giant bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. It was Wednesday, our movie night, and "Titanic" was playing on the tv. I cuddled up to Bo's chest, but had my legs propped up on Vincent's. He and I had gotten very close lately, even though we never said any words when we hung out; but it was an unspoken bond that we shared.

Of course, when the scene played when Rose finds her lover dead, the waterworks started. "I'll never let go, Jack," I mouthed along with the actress, sniffling. Bo watched me smiling, obviously humored by my sterotypical girly reactions to romantic movies. He kissed the top of my head, ruffling my hair before turning his gaze back to the movie.

The other two brothers left once the end credits came on, but Bo and I stayed laying on the couch. He sat in silence, listening to me sing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," one of my favorite songs. I hummed the last few notes, snuggling closer to Bo, staring into his eyes. Our noses rubbed together and we grinned simultaneously before our lips pressed together.


	16. Chapter 15

The next day, I stood alone in the movie theater's concession stand, wiping down the counters unhurriedly, already done with cleaning everything else in the store. I still had a pout on my lips, hating the fact that Bo had to stay up at the house today. I was already so bored. The activity of straightening up things in town lost my interest since Bo wasn't around. I had been so used to spending all hours of the day with him over the past week that now I suddenly felt miserable that I was by myself.

To make the time go by quicker, I started contemplating whether or not "The Phantom of the Opera" would be a good pick for our next movie night; I knew that Vincent could relate to the Phantom character, but wasn't sure if he would be offended by it or not. Suddenly, the door opened from behind me, so I spun around to greet whichever Sinclair man had come in. However, I was shocked to see that it wasn't either of the brothers standing there, but a young couple that looked about my age. "Would you happen to know Bo, and where he's at?," the male asked, "no one seemed to be at that car shop down the road."

I started blinking rapidly, positive that I was seeing things. They glanced at each other and I knew they thought that I was having some sort of mental breakdown or something. Finally I snapped my jaw, which had fallen open at the sight of the two strangers, closed and smiled kindly, attempting to brush off my weird behavior. "Yes, that's my husband actually. Why don't you two go wait outside the gas station, and I'll send him your way." They nodded at me, returning my smile and thanking me before stepping back through the door.

Once they were out of sight, I stumbled backwards a few steps, catching myself on the counter and took some deep breaths to steady myself. I then rushed out the door and began fast walking toward the house. Remembering that the two outsiders were standing outside and most likely watching me, I slowed down, walking at a more casual pace, trying to appear nonchalant.

When I made it to the house, I slammed the door behind me and started running into each room. "Bo!" I yelled, looking around frantically but finding no one in the kitchen, living room or downstairs hallway. "BO!" I shrieked again, this time even louder. I sighed out in relief when I heard his footsteps stomping down the stairs. "What in the hell are you yelling for, woman?" His voice was loud with anger and he scowled at me, but when he saw the stunned look on my face, he instantly calmed down.

"There are two people out there," I explained, panting, "they said they were looking for you. Their car must have broken down or something." He rubbed my back gently, trying to calm me down, but I couldn't seem to be able to catch my breath. He led me over to the couch and tugged me down firmly before taking my face in his hands. "Kate, baby, I'm going need you to just calm down," he said, making sure I was looking him in the eye, "I'm gonna go take care of it, okay?"

I shook my head up and down, inhaling deeply, filling my lungs with air and gradually started to relax. He took his work hat off the coat rack and put it on his head, looking at his reflection to make sure it was on straight. "Just stay in the house." I nodded again and he leaned over, giving me a deep, passionate kiss before leaving. And then I was all alone.

* * *

Several hours had passed by, but Bo hadn't returned. I sat in the kitchen, but hadn't made any dinner; neither Vincent or Lester had come into the house, and my stomach was too shaky to even consider eating. I sighed heavily for the hundredth time, my fingers drumming on the table. I suddenly noticed that the sun had already set and it was now getting darker outside; the anxiousness that came over me made me stand up and start pacing.

But I had barely made it across the room once when I heard the door open and someone rushing inside. Relief washing over me, I ran into the living room. But I stopped short when I saw that the people standing with me in the house were not Bo or his brothers. The girl from before was accompanied by two guys, neither of them familiar to me. They looked like complete opposites, one looking almost thug-ish with a black hoodie and buzzcut, the other with longer shaggy hair, his baby face flushed of color.

The girls' expression quickly changed from confusion to rage as looked at me. "You." Her voice came out as a snarl, and I found myself feeling extremely intimidated by the petite girl. Her companions gave her a questioning look. "That's his wife," she spat. The four of us continued staring at each other for a slow second, but I soon turned and bolted, my instincts screaming at me to get away from them. I could hear them rush after me and knew that I couldn't escape while being outnumbered. I had only gotten up the first few steps on the stairs when I tripped and a hand grabbed at my ankle.

I screamed and kicked, but was pulled back down to whoever was holding onto me. The boy flipped me over and I began scratching him, pounding my fists on his chest, doing anything to make him let go; but he was too strong. The door flew open again and saw Bo storm in. His eyes went wide when he saw the stranger on top of me and took a step toward us, his face twisted in anger. I called out his name, but in an instant, the guy who had a hold on me yanked me up, a large pocketknife suddenly at my throat.

I struggled against him, whimpering, but arching my neck away from the blade. Bo froze, his eyes narrowing. "Get away from her," he growled as his hands clenched into fists. I felt the knife press into my skin and the grip around my waist tightened. "You killed out friends," the guy behind me snapped, "why shouldn't we kill her?" My eyes went wide as I looked at Bo, waiting for him to deny it; he didn't speak.

"Bo," I said in a soft voice, wishing he would say something, anything. He didn't meet my gaze and I felt hot tears building up in my eyes. I felt the knife press deep into my skin, warning us not to move. But I barely noticed. I was already analyzing everything that had happened over the past year. Not even half a minute went by before my blood went cold.

My mind flashed back to the day I snuck into the wax museum; I recalled the perfect replica of my friends, Bo's furious face when he caught me, how dried red paint splattered from the statue of Hannah after I collided into it. 'But that wasn't paint,' I thought to myself, starting to hyperventilate, 'it was blood.' At that moment, my body went weak, my legs wobbled out from underneath me, and I slipped out of the boy's arms and fell to the floor.

The room started to spin around me and a cold sweat came over me. I looked up to see Bo's concerned face and my stomach heaved. I knelt over, retching dryly, but with no food inside me, nothing came out. My breath caught in my throat as Bo took one step towards me. A flash of heat washed over me and I glared up at him. "You lied to me." He stepped back, shocked at how I spat out my words.

A pair of hands reached out for me, but I jerked away and screeched like a rabid animal. I struck the girl hard in the face when she tried to stop me from running into the kitchen. She fell to the ground with a satisfying bang and I darted through the door that led down to the tunnel. Vincent wasn't in his workshop, but I there were two figures sprawled out on the floor. The blonde girl had a pole still impaled through her forehead and the black boy's throat was slit. I quickly swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up and ran up the stairs and into the museum.

I heard footsteps pounding from behind me, so I quickly slammed the door. I darted into the parlor of the museum when yet another person's outline caught my eye. The boy who was originally with the girl now sat at the piano, his hands positioned outward, as if he were playing it. My body heaved again, but once more, nothing came out, so I could do nothing but stare into his eyes. But when the doorknob started jiggling, I forced myself away and ducked down behind the front counter, pressing my back against the wall and attempting to breathe quietly. As the door re-opened, I noticed a hand gun that had been hung up underneath the counter, probably as a safety measure. I reached out for it gingerly, rubbing my fingers across the metal. Just then, whoever had followed me now sprinted into the room.

It was the long haired boy and he stood alone, whipping his head from side to side, trying to locate where I went. I grabbed the gun, carefully making sure it didn't clank against the glass. He suddenly stood next to me, right beside my hiding place. He spotted me almost instantly, his mouth turning down into a sneer. I shrieked as he lunged at me, and my finger pressed down on the trigger.

The room was filled with a loud boom, then went silent. I gasped out loud, my hands shaking. The boy was clutching his chest, and a stream of blood dripped between his fingers. He let out a groan and fell to his knees, then completely on the ground. He took one last shuddering breath before becoming still. A sob slipped out of my lips and the gun slipped out of my hand, falling to the floor with a clatter.

I stared at the boy's body for quite a few minutes, not able to make myself move. But when I heard more people start to enter the museum, I got up and ran, nearly tripping over the corpse in my haste. I stumbled down the road and made it to the center of town. I knew I had to hide somewhere, so I quickly ducked back into the movie theater, concealing myself behind the concession counter. I bit my lip to prevent a sob from escaping, thinking of how I was in this exact spot a few hours ago, back when my life was normal.


	17. Chapter 16

At least fifteen minutes had passed, but I didn't dare venture away from my spot until I was sure it was safe. I blinked back tears as I thought back to how I was moping around this morning, so sad that Bo couldn't spend the day with me. Now it was like my whole world had been turned upside down in a series of loop-da-loops; how much do I really know about these men I've been living with? On the verge of hyperventilating again, I clenched my hands into fists, attempting to get them to stop shaking so hard.

From the building next door, I could barely hear people talking, muted slightly by the thick walls. Then there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of the big show window sprinkling to the ground. And not even two seconds passed when there was an earsplitting bang and more glass breaking. I heard the girl scream and the doors swung open, making me freeze completely still.

More than one person quickly rushed inside and I curling myself into a ball, trying to blend in with the shadows. Luckily, they ran right past me and into the theater itself. Soon after, the door opened again and the other person came inside, taking much slower deliberate steps. Bo didn't notice my hiding place either as he strolled in behind the other two.

As I waited for something else to happen, I pressed even closer against the wall behind me, holding my breath and listening intently. I jumped as a shot rang out suddenly, then again when the swinging doors flew back open. The boy and girl, instead of running straight out the front door, paused in the middle of the lobby. The boy now had a crossbow in his hands, and he had it pointed at the exact spot they had just come through.

My breath caught in my throat when Bo came back out and halted when seeing the weapon aimed at him. He didn't even have the chance to raise his shotgun up when the arrow shot out and struck him under his left shoulder. He landed to the ground with a thud, his gun sliding across the floor, stopping right in front of me. My hands flew up to cover my mouth in shock, muffling my gasp. I shifted my gaze from the arrow protruding from Bo's body and over to his face.

He could now see me crouched behind the counter and his eyes were wide, not looking away from mine. Automatically, I reached over and picked up the gun, rising up from my hiding spot. I fired once and the bow exploded, clattering to the ground in multiple useless pieces. The boy didn't seem to be hurt, but both him and the girl turned and ran, looking over their shoulders to see if I was following. But I had already fallen and was crawling on my hands and knees to be next to Bo.

My hands fluttered over his body, but I couldn't seem to find a place to touch him that wouldn't cause him some sort of pain. I jumped again when his hand found its way to mine and he grasped it firmly, despite how weak he already looked. "Kate," he said, just above a whisper. The tears blurred my vision abruptly as I understood that he was using all his strength just to speak to me. "I lied to you," he continued, "and I am so sorry." He had to stop to cough; his teeth clenched together at the agony this caused him. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

I wept freely then and started shaking my head wildly from side to side; not denying him, just trying to wake myself from this nightmare. Because, even as I simply held onto his arm, I could feel his pulse slowing and his body getting colder. And deep down, I knew that his time was coming to a close.

"Bo," I started, but my voice broke and I found that I couldn't speak. Instead, I lowered my face down to his and pressed our lips together one last time. I was shocked to feel his fingers running through my hair, but I didn't stop him. His scent filled my nostrils and I tangled my own fingers in his hair. I felt the corners of his mouth turn up and he return my kisses as best as he could. But soon enough, his hand dropped back down and he was still looking me in the eye. He gave me the biggest smile he could manage before his face finally relaxed, his eyes closing peacefully.

I did nothing but stare at him for those first few long minutes, I couldn't do anything else. But when I finally inhaled, a shudder went through my entire body. The tears streamed continuously down my cheeks and I heard a loud wailing noise. It took me a moment to realize that the noise was coming from me, that I was crying out quite loudly, a disturbing and tortured sound. After a short while, the noise died down and I just sat there crying silently. But just a few minutes later, the tears had dried up, leaving my face feeling stiff, and I remained on the floor, doing nothing but stare at the floor tiles.

The entrance doors opened once more and my head jerked up to see who was interrupting my mourning. Vincent took a short look at me before noticing the body of his brother laying next to me. I observed him with my blood-shot eyes, waiting for him to say something. A lone tear slid down his masked face as he took in the scene in front of him. All of a sudden, he slammed his fists on the doors and a sorrowful cry burst out from him. I lifted myself up to a standing position and took a step towards him, but stopped short when he bellowed out an enraged cry and took off in the direction of the house.

At that moment, the room started to spin and get darker. I collapsed back down to the floor and tried forcing myself to take deep, even breaths, but it was a lost cause. In an instant, the whole room went black and unconciousness overtook me.


	18. End

My tired eyes fluttered open, but closing again at the light beaming directly into them. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to see without being blinded this time. The harsh fluorescent ceiling lights shining down at me, almost like they were mocking me. I groaned softly as I rubbed my neck, which was stiff from passing out on the hard floor. I tried not to look at the body that lay next to me, but I couldn't stop myself.

I sighed sadly as I gazed at Bo's still face; he still looked just as serene as he did before, which was comforting to me. My fingers brushed across his face. When I felt just how icy his skin was, I shivered, feeling almost as cold as he did. I closed my eyes tightly and just sat there for a moment, giving myself a chance to gather myself before I made another move.

When I stepped outside, I could tell that it was almost morning; the sky had changed into a lighter shade of deep blue. My feet were dragging as I took each slow step. I could even hear the soft sound of the dirt scraping underneath my shoes. All these people whom I had never seen before scurried around me, around my town, but not paying me any attention. The emergency lights on top of the firetrucks, police cars, and ambulances flashed vibrantly, hurting my eyes. With everything and everyone swarming around me, my heart pounded loudly and both fear and adrenaline coursed through me. I had a fleeting thought that this is how a dog would feel when it was trapped in a corner.

Out of the dozens of strangers, I easily recognized one familiar face. The girl's hair was much messier than the last time I'd seen her, and her clothes filthy. She locked eyes with me, subconsciously turning herself in my direction. A jolt went through me and I jerked upright as I saw the substance that covered not just her shirt and jeans, but the boy's too, was something I could recognize anywhere: wax.

She blinked and seemed to notice me for the first time. Shockingly, I could hear her sharp intake of breath and I noticed her eyes enlarged as far as they could go. But it wasn't until I became aware of all the commotion that was suddenly going on around me that I finally shook myself out of my trance. Apparently, when she had gasped, all the people surrounding her looked at her, then followed the direction of her stare.

All the police officers had drawn their guns and were pointing them at me, while the firemen and EMTs ducked down behind their vehicles. I stopped short and stared at them, slightly confused, but not enough to really care. So I slowly continued walking towards them, feeling just as empty as the blank expression on my face. But I forced myself to focus on everyone around me, to not think of how my new family was now gone, my husband. I sighed shakily as the image of his face popped into my mind. He was so breathtaking, even in my memory, that I decided not to shake that thought away.

The cops began shouting at me now, tearing me away from recollections. I cocked my head to the side, perplexed at to what they were talking about. "Drop your weapon!" I stopped completely,my eyebrows furrowing together as I looked down. It was then that I realized I still had Bo's shotgun in my hands. They yelled the demand again, keeping their defensive stance but gradually moving slowly towards me.

I ignored them, still staring at the gun. My mind started working at a slow pace; I knew there were no more bullets inside it, his gun only held two shots at a time and he had used them all just a few hours ago. So why did they seem so frightened of me? It's like I could harm any of them, even if I wanted to. After a few sluggish seconds passed by, it hit me that they didn't know I was holding an unloaded weapon.

The same image of Bo came into my head again, followed by the memories of us and his brothers spending the evenings together; eating, laughing, being happy and content. Then I remembered how it didn't start out that way. I was taken from my friends, forced to stay here against my will, and somehow rape turned into love. How would I ever be able to return to normal society and function as I would have before? Being here had ruined me entirely, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

'You can't help who you love.' My mother's voice came to mind now, so completely out of the blue that I almost jumped in shock. While she was living, she would always tell me that we're only human, that the heart wants what the heart wants. I sighed, my heart giving a sorrowful squeeze which seemed to wake me up reality again.

My eyes zoomed in on the girl and narrowed. Pure hate flowed in my veins at the sight of her. She helped tear my family, my whole life, apart. My eyes narrowed and a very slight smirk grew on the corner of my lips. I could see her go tense even through the distance and people that separate us and, for some reason, that made me very happy.

I began taking quick steps, my body upright and facing the crowd. I lifted my head to meet theirs and raised the gun out in front of me, my lips returning downward, pressing into a tight line. In response, everyone around me lunged themselves to the ground, desperate to get out of my way. However, the officers didn't move at all, didn't even seem to budge as they fired their weapons.

Just like in the movies, time slowed as the bullets flew toward me. I could almost distinguish each color of the fire that followed the shells; in that half second, I saw the most astonishing mix of orange and blue, shortly turning to a pure, unpolluted white. And how the rising sunlight cast shadows the underneath of the bullets that were unceasingly heading in my direction.

All at once, time went back to its normal speed and I was hit several times. The impact pushed me back forcefully and I landed not long after. It felt like my body had been set on fire. The hot, pulsating sensation overtook my arms, my chest, everything. And even through this burning, I could still feel my warm blood slowly vacating my body.

After what was either a minute or an hour, the sun started going down. I soon realized that it wasn't actually setting again, I was just becoming unconscious. My life force was literally leaving me, chasing after my freely flowing blood; I cringed internally at how strange it felt. There was no bright light that everyone supposedly sees when they're dying, only darkness.

My eyes rolled themselves up, catching one last glimpse at that girl. However, she had turned away, her head tucked into the boy's shoulder. He was looking back at me though, his face stern, yet somehow sympathetic; it made me want to spit at him. The police all swarmed my fallen body, trailed by paramedics. But someone made their way through them, kneeling next to me once he reached my side.

I smiled up at Bo's face, humming as he caressed my face with the back of his hand. "You coming?" he asked, returning my smile and offered me his hand. Behind him was my mom, her face once again full of color and untainted with the lines of age. She shook her head at us, an impatient smirk on her lips, but she motioned for me to follow. I nodded, answering them both. "Of course." And then my eyes closed for the final time.


	19. End Note

One thing I didn't get to make clear in the last chapter is that: yes, all the Sinclair brothers die. Just like in the movie, Vincent runs off to avenge his brother's death but is outnumbered. And I didn't feel that Lester would be so casual about his family dying, especially that this time with Kate in the picture, they all became much closer; so in this version, he ends up killing himself out of grief. I know, it's a dark ending, but at least it's realistic.

Thanks for reading!


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